Astral vision
Astral vision, internally referred to as x-ray vision, is a property that occurs in NetHack.[1] Astral vision allows a character to see nearby squares, even if they are unlit or else blocked from regular line-of-sight, and ignores any blindness.
The only source of the astral vision property is The Eyes of the Overworld, the Monk quest artifact, which grants the property while worn.
Contents
Description
Astral vision allows a character to view any tile within a 3-square radius, with monsters, items and tiles being completely visible regardless of anything that would block the character's view otherwise, such as walls or boulders:[2] Items viewed using the farlook command are described as if the character is handling them personally, i.e. they can see the item's randomized appearance; this effect does not function on the Rogue level. Monsters seen via astral vision that move will interrupt occupations as normal, regardless of whether they can actually reach the character from their current position.
The blindness status property can still be applied to a character with astral vision, but will be overwritten and have its effects suppressed as long as the astral vision is active. Blindness that is applied or expires while a character has astral vision prints a different message than normal. As a result, wearing a source of astral vision will break the zen conduct.
History
Astral vision is introduced in NetHack 3.3.0 along with The Eyes of the Overworld - the property makes use of unfinished code for an x-ray vision property that existed prior to the integration of the Monk role into NetHack.
From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, astral vision is subject to bug C343-93: this very minor bug causes monsters seen with astral vision to be listed as being seen with normal vision when using the farlook command.
Messages
- Your vision seems to dim for a moment but is normal now.
- You were blinded while you have astral vision.
- Your vision seems to dim for a moment but is happier now.
- As above, while hallucinating.
- Your vision seems to brighten for a moment but is normal now.
- Your blindness was cured while you have astral vision.
- Your vision seems to brighten for a moment but is sadder now.
- As above, while hallucinating.
Variants
Some variants add more sources of astral vision.
dNetHack
dNetHack refers to astral vision as "x-ray vision", and its implementation is a refactoring of the property's existing behavior, with different internal handling from NetHack.
Orthos is a spirit that grants x-ray vision while bound, with the radius dependent on the character's spirit die (which is based on rank and experience level). Orthos's x-ray vision stacks with that granted by other sources.
dNetHack also adds some artifact sources of x-ray vision:
- The Palantir of Westernesse, while carried
- The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, while wielded by a dwarf
- The Hat of the Archmagi, while worn
- The Shield of the All-Seeing, when invoked
FIQHack
FIQHack adds the spellbook of astral eyesight and corresponding spell, and astral vision's radius is extended to 8 squares.
notdNetHack
In notdNetHack, in addition to dNetHack details, the etherealoid is a playable race that has intrinsic x-ray vision, with a minimum range equal to 3 + (XL⁄7) squares.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, The Eye of Vecna confers astral vision while carried.
